Thank you so much for visiting the Wintertur Weddings Blog. We got the idea to start a blog after attending a hospitality event and hearing from a wedding photographer about how much his clients liked to read his blog and learn what he specializes in. Since so many of you have asked our opinions on various topics we thought we would try to bring you information on a weekly basis to keep you informed of what is happening, not only with the weddings we have here at Winterthur but also in our personal lives.
My colleague, Rachel Cowit, and I will both be blogging. Rachel is the Assistant Catering Manager here with me and she has been here since graduating from UD in 2006. In the time that she has been here Rachel has worked on over 40 weddings on the estate. Rachel is currently helping her college roommate plan her wedding and is fast becoming an expert on local vendors.
I (Nicole Bailey) have been in catering since I got out of college in 1997 and over that time have worked on countless wedding receptions - 3 of which have been on TV which was a lot of fun. Most recently Winterthur was featured on an episode of “Whose Wedding is it Anyway”, which still airs in reruns. I am currently planning my sisters wedding as well as helping 2 different friends plan parts of theirs.
We are both constantly looking for new and innovative ideas that we can either recommend to clients when meeting with them or to use as our friends and family are going through the planning processes. We plan on letting you all know the best practices we see here and to create an open forum to share ideas.
If there are any topics you would like us to discuss please email us and we will try to fit it in. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you!
Whoa - where did the week go already and look at me getting behind. I can’t believe I missed posting all of these cool things that Miranda and Chip did last Sunday here at Winterthur. Chip and Miranda are a great couple and I worked with them a lot over the phone and via email. Both very busy with their careers in the art fields and with spending time with family and friends.
Miranda had some great ideas of how she wanted to utilize the space. Their ceremony was on the east side of the Gallery at 6:30pm, as the sun was setting. Guests were greeted with steaming cups of hot apple cider and wine as the ceremony finished and while some lingered, most moved inside and took advantage of the time to go through our permanent exhibit. Guests were seated and treated to a fall inspired dinner complete with apple fritters and spaghetti squash!
Sine there were 50 guests and we did not want them to feel lost we set the guests up in a “U” which was really cozy and encouraged guests to talk more and get to know each other. I love the color combination and the small touches like the runners and the pressed leaves - Maher tables 1, Maher Tables 2
Even the cake was fall inspired - Maher Cake 1, Maher Cake 2
And Miranda and Chip wanted to make sure that all of their guests knew had helped them and where they could get all of the really cool things that they had so they made these cards to show everyone - Maher Cards 1, Maher Cards 2
And these may be the coolest seating cards/favors I have ever seen. The pressed flowers indicates where guests are to be seated and inside is a CD as a favor for the guests - Maher Placecards
2 more weddings this evening and 1 tomorrow night and then the pool closes for the season and we slow down and try to get a head start on the wedding coming up for the rest of this year and next Spring!
Evening everyone
Tonight at Winterthur Museum we have the fabulous wedding of Robin and Scott. I first toured Robin and Scott about 18 months ago and I remember thinking then how much I really wanted to work with them as they were so much fun and so relaxed. Now all of this time later they feel like close friends and family and I am so happy for them.
Ceremony at the pool as the sun sets - how romantic. Cocktails around the candlelit pool and then back to the Visitor Center for dinner and dancing.
Some nice special touches this evening: African Violets as favors
Placecards in a picture frame (a green idea for those of you who like that!) Picture Frame Seating Assignments
Some nice lanterns in the lobby Candle Lanterns
Flowers by Yukie did the beautiful arrangements and the hanging Asian lanterns Asian Lanterns, Asian Lanterns, flowers
And look at the great outside lighting Outside lighting, Candles on the Railing
Robin and her family also decided they wanted to honor their family and have a pasta course. I just walked through the kitchen and the penne a la vodka looks divine! Jason is also whipping up the vegetarian option for the night - samosas with sauteed fall vegetables, tofu, and chutney - yum!
Tomorrow brings another wedding - this one is at the Gallery and intimate - a perfect 50 people. Looks like they are going to get some great weather fall weather as well!
Morning everyone. Actually before I get started on my weekend - check out the Winterthur Wedding website on the section for Photos and Testimonials - we have some new things posted for you to take a peak at.
So I hosted my sisters shower yesterday. Garden Fair was this weekend - no catered events so I took the weekend off and planned a party. I wanted to start it in the morning so everyone would have their afternoon and evenings free to be with their families or even just relax. The shower was from 11am - 2pm. Guests were pretty much all there by 11:30.
My sister wanted something different then a typical shower. I knew she wanted some type of entertainment and it was really difficult coming up with something that everyone could participate in yet not have to squish into one room and sit and not be able to talk. The winning idea was to set up some casino games with dealers. We opted for Roulette - which a lot of people can play at one time - and black jack - which had 6 people playing at all times. We kept the food as finger foods so guests could eat and move at the same time. It was really fun and kept people engaged and amused until time to open gifts.
Theresa Clower of Theresa Florals did some arrnagements for me, 1 on the dining room table, 1 on the bar, and one in each bathroom. They were beautiful and added to the overall feel. I always thinnk flowers finish the look of the party!
We had some signature drinks served as well as some hot spiced cider and coffee for the guests. Food - mini quiche, individual yogurt parfaits, mini crabcakes, cheese, and my sisters friend Lynn had her mom make some great ethnic food - egg rolls, fried rice, and noodles - yum!
Back to real work this weekend - a wedding on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Hi everyone - the wedding here at Winterthur on 8.16.08 of Camille and Chris is featured on the Bride Cafe. Take a look at the awesome work of Laura Novak and of all the really cool things that Camille and her mom added:http://thebridescafe.typepad.com/
What a weekend we had here at Winterthur - 2 weddings and great Delaware weather for both of them!
Joe and Elaine were married in front of 40 guests on Sunday the 21st (the last day of summer - sigh). Ceremony at the Reflecting Pool followed by cocktail hour. Janesch Ceremony, Janesch Ceremony 2, Dinner and dancing in the Gallery.
Joe and Elaine really wanted their guests to feel the DuPont hospitality. We greeted their guests with glasses of champagne as they pull into the parking lot and a limo was there to bring them to the pool. From there guests mingled with the groom and the best man until it was time to start. The ceremony was short and sweet and guests then drifted around the pool with cocktails. Janesch Pool, Janesch Path
At 7:45 as it was getting really dark, we started to escort guests to the Gallery along a candle lit path. The Gallery looked great with a slightly different set-up and these great new linens from Special Occasions and flowers by Yukie. Janesch Head Table, Janesch Room, Janesch Flowers
This coming weekend is our annual Garden Fair on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Guests will come from all over to fill all of the interior grounds to look at various wares from tons of vendors. A really great event! No weddings this weekend due to the event set-up so Rachel and I are getting a little break - then we have 5 weddings right after that. We will check back in after the weekend - have a great one!
Evening all. Another magnificent wedding here at Winterthur tonight. Last weekend of summer and the weather here in Delaware is a great 74 degrees - no humidity - little bit of a breeze - just enough to stir the plants in the garden and the frogs and lilies in the pool!
Adam and Nicole were married this evening and it was a great ceremony. We started a few minutes late but caught back up. Photos were taken afterwards and their bridal attendant kept everyone well fed and drinks full. The bridal party loves to have a good time and they are such close friends. Guests were in awe of the beauty of both Winterthur and of Nicole! Boucher Pool, Boucher Arch
Nicole and her mom - Cathy, were in a few days ago to wrap everything up with me and they brought me an extra copy of their invitation. I instantly asked to show it to all of you as I think is so special - look at the antique post card they found on E-Bay and had re-produced for the invitation and reply card - she had a firm in Seattle do them for her that she saw in a national magazine. Boucher Postcard, Boucher Invitation, Boucher Invitation 2
Nicole and Cathy also wanted a different look for the seating tables. We have some round, some various sizes of square and some clusters of round. This is for about 150 people with stations and it works great. It would probably take up too much space if it were plated or with another 50 people. Boucher Tables - grouped, Boucher Square, Boucher Room
Something different for the place-cards - Boucher Placecards
They did menu cards for the tables - this works out great as guests can figure out which station they want to check out first - Boucher Menus
A nice simple cake this evening - Boucher Cake
We have an intimate wedding tomorrow with the ceremony at the pool and dinner inside the Gallery. I will be back on tomorrow evening. Have a great night!
Evening all. Another wedding here at Winterthur this evening. Temperature is about 88 degrees with 93% humidity and a 60% chance of rain -ugh. Scott and Jillian made a great call - working with Joan they opted to keep their ceremony outside at the pool and they moved their cocktail hour inside the Gallery - in the air conditioning 
Mike Kehr is the photographer this evening and he does such a great job. He was picked as an industry favorite and was shooting The Knot party last Tuesday. You can see his work on our photo gallery - the first few pics are all his.
Yukie did the flowers and the lanterns- great look. Graeber Placecard Arrangement These centerpieces are amazing. Graeber Centerpieces
Tonight’s crowd is smaller so we rearranged the VC to make it look full and perfect. This is only 88 people and I think it looks really great. Graeber Room
Rachel and I are in love with the look of the cushions. It is so much more uniform then the chairs bows and they have a chic look we think. Graeber Cushions, Graeber Cushions 2
2 more next weekend, and Joan is out on vacation!Chat with you then!
Evening everyone. Well we had some rain for our outdoor wedding this evening here at Winterthur. We moved the ceremony inside in the front portion of the Visitor Center. It looked very nice and very intimate for their close family and friends. Ceremony, Arbor
Renee and Matt used a florist I have not worked with before. As guests started to arrive at 5:50pm, they were still setting up the arbor at the front for the bride and groom - ugh! But alas, the bride was a moment or so late so it all worked out.
After the ceremony guests moved further into the VC and to the waiting bar and DJ. They are dancing in the same area this evening.
From there it was into dinner. Look at the centerpieces for the kids table Kids Table - and the centerpieces on the adult tables are soft and sweet - Centerpieces
Faith West is doing the photos tonight so of course we can not wait to see those. Mathew and Renee decided to share some photos of their ‘Children” on the placecard table Dog Pics - and they made donations to various animal charities, right after my own heart - Charity
Tonight’s dinner was mostly vegetarian, again, I can relate. Dinner this evening was our fantastic heirloom yellow tomato gazpacho with grilled shrimp and Jason made a great vegetarian entree that everyone enjoyed - black bean cakes with grilled pineapple & black rice with a watermelon and jicama slaw - yum!
I wish they could have gotten their wedding outside but once again, when the bride and groom are enjoying themselves this much then everyone else does as well!
Hi Everyone. I have not written about just the latest things to be happening at Winterthur with our weddings in a little while so here is a little update as to what Rachel and I have been doing - other then working with everyone on all of these events you read about…This past Tuesday evening Rachel and I were in Philly for an industry party sponsored by The Knot. It was great to see some of our favorite people:
Mike Kehr - he is responsible for half of the new photos on our photo section of our website and spends a good amount of time at Winterthur. Mike is here with us on Saturday and he shot the Seliger wedding from 7-19 that you saw.
Faith West - Faith is here tomorrow night and she shot the other half of the photos that went up on our gallery - those are from the Kloss wedding on the 14th of June.
Donna and Mia from Beautiful Blooms - they did last Saturdays Scida wedding with the amazing orchids.
Kendall Brown of Eclante Events partnered with the Knot for the design and schematics of the party which was all about the environment and what we can all do to make a difference. Tell me anything you want with a glass of wine in my hand and it gets even more interesting!
Ed and Greg with EventQuip were there. These guys are hopefully about to become my new best friends. We have some interesting things happening at Winterthur and hopefully in another few weeks I can unveil some big stuff - and don’t email me and ask for a preview!!
Coming up this weekend we have 2 weddings, 2 the following weekend, Garden Fair the following weekend - no weddings allowed then - then 2 more after that and 3 more the following week - Whew! And we are already booking like crazy for next September and October so that promises to be just as busy.
I have not talked about my sisters wedding in a while - her shower is at my house on the 28th - yes the weekend I don’t have any weddings here I will send you an update on that after the fact - the date and time are not a surprise to her but everything else so I better not spoil it here.
And everyone - if you have things that you feel it would be helpful for Rachel and I to write about - let us know. We can always use suggestions. Have a great night and I will be back on tomorrow night!
85 degrees, High Humidity, 30 mph winds, and lots of rain here at Winterthur for our wedding this evening. And I think Brie still steels the show!
Brie Scida and Clark Stossel were married tonight. Their hope was to be married at the Reflecting Pool and needless to say we have been rained out - well maybe downpoured out is a better use of words. Rain Plan = Galleries Reception Area.
Guests arrived on shuttle buses from the hotels and were greeted with unsweetened iced tea with mint. After the ceremony our set-up crew stepped in to whisk the chairs away and add some cocktail tables. Signature cocktail this evening was Mojitos…noticing a common thread?
Clark and Brie emailed me a week ago and asked for some advice on what items they could add to personalize the Visitor Center some. They decided on renting green tea lights for the tables that you can see in all of the pics, these great seat cushions - Scida Chair Cushions, chargers - Scida Chargers, and some linens to spice up under the tent - Scida under tent tables
Beautiful Blooms did the flowers and of course they are stunning. Three different table arrangements - Scida Flowers - Tall, Scida Flowers x 3, Scida Flowers
I think the placecard table looks really cool this evening - Placecard 1, Placecard 2, Placecard 3
And I love what Blooms did with the flowers on the cake - Scida Cake
Rachel and I got a little creative on the front desk which was only possible as Blooms had some extra centerpieces - Scida Desk 1, Scida Desk 2, Scida Desk 3
Dinner this evening was a dual entree of sirloin steak and mahi-mahi that Brie and her mom came up with at the tasting. Scida Dinner. They topped the night off with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream as the final mint idea. Scida Ice Cream
All in all it was a beautiful evening for a beautiful couple. Hey, Hanna Stossel does have a nice ring to it……..
Ann and Greg were married here at Winterthur this past Saturday right on our Visitors Center Patio, under a tent. Ann made the decision on Tuesday about getting a tent just in case the weather was bad. A bunch of people have made the tent decision and are overall happy they did. It lets them relax and not have to worry about the weather that for the big day!
Ann and Greg had about 120 people attend the wedding so we decided on the smaller tent. It is a 40×40 tent and was able to accommodate the ceremony nicely and the cocktail hour. Tented Ceremony Since we did not get any rain as we were supposed to, we were able to put cocktail tables outside the tent as well to give more space. I really like the tent option, and I know a lot of people think about it but cannot imagine it, so hopefully some of these pictures will help you out! Tent 1, Tent 2, Tent 3 We also have a larger tent that accommodate about 200 people or more for a ceremony and cocktail hour, and that tent takes up more of the Patio.
Ann and Greg had a really cute idea and she told me she found it right online. She had her ceremony programs on fans for her guests. I liked them a lot! Fan Programs, Fans .
And since we like to show as many pictures of the Visitors Center as we can, take a look at their room set up with a rented dance floor. Visitors Center
I think Ann and Greg had a wonderful evening and it seemed to be a great night.
Sorry - maybe it is the Jimmy Buffet concert I am going to tomorrow that has me signing in the office.
On a serious note - can we talk abotu the weather? We have had fantstic, low humidity, clear skies for the past 3 weeks. I love it and the only people that might be more happy then Joan and I would be the brides, grooms, and their wedding guests. Winterthur is simply breathtaking right now!
Kelli and Dave were married in a church and then brought their wedding party onto the estate for pictures before the ceremony. Cocktail hour on the patio McCoy Cocktails, McCoy Cocktails 2- then inside for dinner and dancing.
Kelli and Dave really wanted to be able to focus on their guests and opted for stations tonight (must be something with this weekend). McCoy Seating, McCoy Seating 2, McCoy Seating 3 Cocktail seating - no having to make out seating charts for this savvy couple!
Love the ribbon on her cake - McCoy Cake
Kelli and Dave look great on their dance - maybe a few dance lessons!
Hi Everyone!
Last night we hosted the Davenport/Sprau wedding rehearsal dinner. Guests were dropped off at the pool for cocktails, then meandered along the paths to wind up at the Gallery. Bar was outside and there was cocktail seating inside Davenport Seating, Davenport Seating 2, Davenport Seating 3- the bride and groom wanted their guests to mingle and get to know each other, rather then have a formal event.
The food was adapted stations - a few less items then on our full stations, and everything able to be eaten with a fork. Here are some shots of the Italian Davenport Italian and Asian Stations. Davenport Asian, Davenport Asian 2
Some toasts were made and everyone had an enjoyable time. Desserts were passed as guests boarded shuttles and went home to rest and get ready for the big day today. We wish everyone the best of luck with their wedding today!
Great weather again for this one! I was moving a lot on this one so forgive me - no pics!!
Ashley and Tom were married on the Visitor Center Patio - under a tent, just in case. The weather was perfect - little bit of a breeze - and Ashley looked great in her custom made gown.
Saw something new - Ashley not only had her make-up done but they hired the gentlemen to stay with them beforehand and to touch up before and after photos. He was so nice and the ladies looked amazing.
The bridal party went to the pool to take pictures and I must thank their limo drivers - they were punctual and had them back to make their grand entrance on time - no making the guests wait which was really appreciated.
There was a little confusion for some of the bridal party and close family as far as time to arrive. I was so worried when I had to ask some of the older family members to please go sit under the tent so we could ready the VC. Luckily we had nice weather. For those of you getting married here please let us know if you are ever unsure of anything in regards to timing.
OK - time to get ready for this coming weekend!
Hi Everyone
Tonight is an overall wonderful eclectic surprise everywhere you look!
Camille and Chris Wilkinson were married tonight on a perfect August weather day - 84 degrees! Great Karma huh? Camille is an artist - Chris is a golf pro and the wedding was so representative of the two of them.
Flowers by Yukie did all of the arrangements - Camille and her mom purchased all of the vases for them to be used. Each flower arrangement was unique to the vase - Purdy Flowers, Purdy Flowers 2, Purdy Flowers 3, Purdy Flowers 4, Purdy Flowers 5, Purdy Flowers 6
Eventions is in for lighting -Purdy Lighting, Purdy Lighting 2
Favors this evening - Coffee! It smells so good in here - this would be great idea on a cold fall night or a winter wedding - the smell just envelopes the room! Purdy Coffee, Purdy Coffee 1
Cakes - one for the bride - and one for the groom - Purdy Wedding Cake, Purdy Grooms Cake
The tables of honor were a little different this evening - Purdy Head table
And I don’t know what to call these things but I love them! -Purdy Spikes
Great ideas for all!
Hi Everyone - I wanted to share another blog with you - this one is for Marie Labbancz who was here on 8/2/08 for the Savini Wedding. I chatted with the Savini’s yesterday and they told me about this and I thought you all might want to take a look at some amazing shots - great job Marie!
http://www.artoflove.com/blog/weddings/sara-christopher-08-02-08-part-1/
http://www.artoflove.com/blog/
Night number two of this three day wedding weekend was perfect as well. The weather was wonderful for Lee and Erika’s Tuscan themed wedding. Their ceremony took place at the Reflecting Pool and with a smaller amount of people, their reception was inside the Gallery Reception Area. Just under 80 guests fit well in that space!
I thought everything came together for them as well. They had passed Limoncello Martinis as their signature drink, homemade Limoncello as their favors, and more lemons everywhere. They put their place-card table outside the Gallery which is just beautiful right now with the trees in bloom. Place Cards, Patio at Gallery They opted for a different seating arrangement than we usually do here, along with rental Chivary Chairs, and I think it worked out well. Seating, Seating 2 I also thought there cake looked amazing and exactly what they wanted! Cake
Overall, it was another good night here at Winterthur!
Friday night was absolutely gorgeous here at Winterthur. Man Yee and Samson could have not had better weather for their ceremony and reception here. With the sun shining and a nice breeze it didn’t even feel like August!!
Man Yee and Samson had a beautiful wedding with some fun added extras. One thing that we have seen a couple people do is provide a sign in the parking lot for their wedding guests. It helps them know where the ceremony and receotion take place. Sign They were so put together and everything matched perfectly. They had everything from a photo booth for their guests to a traditional Lions Dance to an added dessert station of chocolate goodness. They had an Asian theme which works well inside the Visitors Center. Their place-cards were river rocks and fit in well. River Rocks They also has menu cards and tea fortes as their favors which all went together. Table Layout , Favors One of my favorite things was their cake topper. It was custom made and looks exactly like them!! Cake Topper
It ended up being a really nice night and I think they were really happy with everything!
in May we were blessed to work with a great planner - Beka Nave. Beka is getting married in just a few weeks and there is a great online article about her and the wedding. She also talks about one of her special weddings she did and includes some pics from Laura Novak - overly talented!! So happens the pics are of Christina and Marvin - one of our May weddings. Thought you might enjoy reading about a wedding from the planners prospective….http://thebridescafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/08/meet-beka.html
OK - I know - I am cheating. I was simply too tired on Saturday evening to update you all and write!
Looking back at the wedding this weekend it was so very Sarah Savini. After working with the Savini family for over a year I feel that I really got to know Sarah really well and her touches were apparent everywhere.
Beautiful Blooms did the flowers and they were so creative - as always! Savini Flowers, Savini Flowers 2, Savini Sweetheart Table
The placecards were very zen - Savini Placecards, Savini Placecards 2
And everything was coordinated just so with the help of “Two Paper Dolls” - Savini Menu Cards, Savini Tablecards
I know I have mentioned before how much I love the idea of using one of the Winterthur Books from the bookstore as a guests book that you can keep on your coffee table - Savini Sign In Book
Linens are from Special Occasions and I think the room and the tables look great - Savini Set-up,
We also worked with Sarah to create a lounge after 9pm in the lobby area, complete with a Bellini Bar - Savini Lounge set-up started, Savini Lounge
The cocktail tables on the patio added character - Savini Bug Jars
And how about this cake? - Savini Cake
Marie Labbancz was their photographer and I am looking forward to sharing some more photos with you when I get a copy of some of the professional ones from Marie!!
